Puppy farmers: time
they were stopped

THERE are two types of puppy farmer and from the beginning let me say this - they are both equally disgusting.

The first type breeds only pedigree dogs, may have a single breed or quite a few breeds on their property, registers all their puppies, often is active in kennel or breed clubs, showring activities, and on the surface is legitimate - almost! But their property is usually overcrowded, the breeding stock receives little genuine care, they are bred at every cycle, sometimes (where there are laws against litters being too close) litters are attributed to other bitches who failed to produce puppies at the last cycle, and they live their lives under the care of 'handlers' or owners who may or may not treat them with care and understanding. Either way these puppy farmers are in the business for the money, and any animal that fails to perform is out - usually killed or sold on as pets (or as a showdog if they can get away with it).

The second type is even worse. These people regard dogs as revenue and have no knowledge of canine care or requirements, their hygiene conditions are atrocious, they do not register puppies, care nothing about misbreeds, feed their dogs on the cheapest junk available, keep them in cages without vaccination or medical care, breed at every cycle, and still manage to sell their very sickly puppies, some at the age of only four weeks old, for prices that one would pay for pedigree puppies.

Such puppy farms are known to bring puppies from Ireland to the UK at regular intervals in vans stacked high with cages. Many of the puppies are already sick, and because they have had no protection many have already been exposed to deadly illnesses but do not yet have symptoms. Most should not yet be away from their mothers, and will have emotional and development problems if they live long enough to reach maturity. These puppies are often pre-ordered (usually as pedigrees) through newspaper and internet advertising, and some are sold on the roadside, all for very good prices. And how do these people get away with that?

The answer - because there are always people stupid enough to buy from such roadside sellers! Until buyers become more discerning and refuse to buy from these scum dealers they will continue to be scammed. As long as there are buyers, such people have good businesses. The way to stop the trade is for caring people to stop buying from them!

If you want a puppy, please buy only from sources where you can visit the puppy's parents, see the conditions the puppy was born and raised in, see evidence of initial vaccinations and worming, view the puppy at play with its siblings, and don't expect to have your puppy before it is at least eight weeks old - 10 weeks is better (at 10 weeks it will have completed training and discipline from its mother and be better equipped physically and emotionally to face the world).

I have heard that many people look inside the trucks and buy the puppies to get them out of the bad conditions because they look so sick and have no water or food and are so tiny. But this is a recipe for disaster. Such puppies often die within a few days and if not, they can retain their sick and weakly disposition throughout their lifetime.

So what can you do about the problem? If you are a person who has ordered such a puppy make sure you meet the truck accompanied by a veterinarian, an SPCA officer (or two or three), or a representative of the agriculture dept, who can tell you if your puppy is healthy and hopefully will be able to inspect the truck and confiscate any animals either sick, or being transported under cruel conditions.

The same applies if you are visiting a puppy farm or buying from a market or through a newspaper or internet or community board advertisement - take someone with you who knows what to look for and has authority to act on cruel or disgusting conditions. And know what to ask for, yourself. Write down what questions you will ask and make sure they are not answered with excuses. Ask for the puppy's birth date and make sure you do not take it home before it is at least eight weeks old. Ask about worming and ask for proof of initial inocculations. If the puppy is being sold as a pedigree you must ask for a copy of its registration form and pedigree, even if it is being sold as a pet only. Such paperwork is your assurance you are buying what you are paying for - many buyers have found their adult dog does not even faintly resemble the breed that was sold to them!

There seems to be a culture in the UK where people are happy to buy anything from roadsides and markets, even when they know very well the product is fake, stolen, damaged or faulty. In this atmosphere it is understandable that these dealers have so far escaped repercussions. But these little puppies and their suffering parents are not just goods - they are living, breathing creatures that deserve a better deal.

The UK, however, is not the only country in the world with a puppy farming problem. It is thriving in New Zealand, Australia and the USA, and perhaps all that is required to eradicate it is education of the general public (surely buyers realise they are paying the same price for these dogs with questionable 'pedigrees' that they would pay for a pedigree dog with hip and eye certificates, inocculations, healthy parents and guaranteed pedigree?), a tough and unwavering stance by the kennel clubs and breed clubs, and breeding and recording rules that cannot be broken.

I know it is very hard to turn your back on a suffering little puppy being bounced around in the back of a truck and away from its mother long before it should be, but as long as there is a market, there will be more and more puppies on the production line. You can only help any current truckloads of puppies by making sure they are seen by the right authorities that can confiscate them. The only way to stop the trade is to stop buying the product of that trade. Buying a puppy is a decision that means you are responsible for that puppy's lifetime health and happiness. Make sure that lifetime is not just for the next few weeks! - EP